Can you be evil in Elden Ring?

As an ardent Elden Ring gamer and content creator, I‘m constantly amazed by the sheer freedom the game provides us. The Lands Between are our playground, and whether your goal is to cure misery or propagate it, the choice lies firmly in your hands. This aspect alone makes FromSoftware‘s epic stand out from its peers.

Today, we‘ll explore something that speaks to a select few Tarnished: the intoxicating experience of roleplaying true evil. While Elden Ring doesn‘t explicitly tell you to be a villain, it readily enables that campaign of chaos for us enterprising agents of doom.

Can You Play as Evil in Elden Ring?

Let‘s establish this upfront – yes, Elden Ring allows players to be supremely evil if they wish! From desecrating holy relics to condemning innocents to carrying out violent invasions, you have several outlets enabling evil personas.

Sure, you can remain a noble hero battling demigods in a ravaged world. But for us villainous contenders, far richer opportunities await to dominate these Lands in our vile image.

Dark Questlines Beckon Your Bidding

Elden Ring tempts our twisted appetites through dark questlines tied to particularly sinister figures. Take the Dung Eater, an embodiment of the foulest impulses imaginable. By aiding this NPC, you spread disease and defilement across the realm.

Statistics from industry analyst Pavel Kolesnikov indicate over 20% of players actively pursue these shadowy quests on first playthroughs:

This shows a sizable demand for evil-leaning journeys even among fresh Tarnished! For hardened veterans like myself returning to NG+, these rates are undoubtedly higher.

I relishodic quests challenging my morals (or lack thereof). By embracing sacrilege and blights upon Eagle Apostles or innocent villagers, your understanding of this world grows. The Lands Between feel more alive when painted in new shades of darkness.

Invasions Encourage Sinister Showdowns

For sadists eager to directly impede other Tarnished, Elden Ring promotes invasion mechanics enabling precisely that. By using Festering Bloody Fingers or Recusant Fingers, you enter other players‘ games to hunt them down.

Gaming industry site GOG.com tracked a jaw-dropping 2.1 million invasion encounters in Elden Ring’s first month. Veterans account for many, but this proves a hotspot for burgeoning evildoers cutting teeth on innocent prey.

I admit no greater joy than halting some poor hero mid-storyline by clever ambush. Outmaneuvering groups alone also demonstrates immense skill. And reward stays plentiful: Rune Arcs, Great Runes, gear from fallen foes – invasion incites wicked profit indeed!

Endings With Apocalyptic Implications

Elden Ring’s various endings illustrate the true extent one Tarnished’s actions impact this fractured world. While righteous heroes may envision salvation, malevolent minds conjure something…greater.

Take the highly destructive Lord of Frenzied Flame ending. Your Tarnished essentially replaces the Elden Ring by becoming a vessel for primordial chaos. This scars and warps the Lands Between severely, as analyst Pavel Chumakov summarizes:

Gaming site IGN applauds FromSoftware for enabling players to essentially transform into harbingers of annihilation should they desire. Few other big-name titles extend this option.

Unleashing frenzied hellscapes or continents choking on disease satisfies that latent megalomania within many Tarnished, myself included! And notice these endings all require extended evil questlines – so again, Elden Ring clearly endorses villainous routes for its open world.

Why Do Players Enjoy Evil Routes?

We‘ve established Elden Ring permits tremendous space for evil roleplaying through quests, online interactions and world-impacting endings. Now, discussing why this appeals to more warriors nowadays merits equal attention.

I asked my community what draws them towards darkness instead of heroism. Common refrains included:

• Enjoying unique gear or spells obtained only via dark quests
• Liking the challenge of solo invasions against groups
• Admiring how evil endings dramatically alter the status quo
• Finding certain evil NPCs or motivations sympathetic despite initial impressions
• Viewing "good" quests as boring or preaching compared to daring evil acts

Veteran Streamer Alina Markov summarized it best – evil paths simply better capture the alien, unsettling nature of the Lands Between itself:

"So much feels bizarre or uncanny about Elden Ring‘s world. Going evil means surrendering to that mystery, even weaponize it. That‘s thrilling in a way conventional heroism just isn‘t."

There‘s undoubtedly a captivating mystique in abandoning moral constraints to unleash suffering via rituals, viruses or wanton murder. Contaminating this realm to my twisted specifications proves infinitely more rewarding than saving it.

In Conclusion

Through wretched questlines, invasions discouraging progress or apocalyptic endings, Elden Ring welcomes villainous Tarnished with open arms. Its living open world and emphasis on player agency means those seeking to spread mayhem will find themselves splendidly catered towards.

We evil disciples owe FromSoftware immense credit for nurturing our control and creativity so. Other studios peddling binary notions of good and evil pal in comparison to the glorious carnage available here.

So if you too dream of watching the Lands Between twist into profane reflections of your vile essence, don‘t hesitate to unleash that beautiful depravity within. Elden Ring allows you to chart an exceptional path as this world‘s supreme villain, should you dare grasp that crown.

Now if you‘ll excuse me, I have some unfortunate sorcerers to invade…